Mprov #2

Note: Michele flytoheaven provided me with five more words and I wrote this at work, again with hardly any editing:Angel, precious, evil, doubtful and slash

"Howard!"

Slowly Howie became conscious of someone calling his name, but he was still too close to sleep as that he'd been able to identify the familiar sounding voice.

He blinked and his sluggish brain tried to pinpoint who the hell was calling him by his full name. No one did that, except for his parents, sometimes. But Paula and Hoke were at a cousin's wedding this weekend. Plus they always called before driving over.

"Howard!"

Howie buried his head under his pillow. Maybe if he ignored the annoying sound it would go away and he could go back to sleep...

"Howard Dwaine Dorough! Open that fucking door or I'll kick it in!"

That got Howie's attention and answered the question of who had interrupted his peaceful dreams. He got out of bed abruptly and went to the door, not bothering to get dressed. He planned on getting back to bed as soon as possible.

Howie could practically feel the intruder getting ready to shout again and quickly threw the door wide open, causing the person on the other side, who'd been lounging against the doorway, to almost fall inside.

"Alexander! What a -- doubtful pleasure to see you this early on a Saturday morning!" There was not a jot of Howie's proverbial sweetness in his voice as he fixed AJ with a level stare.

But AJ was not easily disturbed. He just grinned and looked Howie up and down, fixing his gaze pointedly on the purple boxers, which were everything Howie was wearing.

"You always open your door like that, Howard? Or were you expecting someone special? Like moi?"

Howie refused to be goaded by AJ. His friend would tell him soon enough why he was here.

"Don't flatter yourself, McLean. -- And what the heck is up with the 'Howard'?"

AJ's grin widened into a very bad parody of an innocent smile.

"What? Can't I just feel the urge to give my favorite Backstreet Boy and bestest friend in the world a special name? Something only I call him?"

Without a word Howie turned on his heels and walked back inside.

Laughing AJ called after his retreating back, before hurrying to catch up with him: "Or would you prefer if I called you my angel?"

Howie had made his way back to his bed, giving it a last longing glance before continuing to the balcony and sitting down there to soak up the morning sun. With AJ in that kind of mood there was no chance in hell he'd be getting any more sleep.

"Call me whatever you want, Alexander, just please, not at seven in the morning!"

With a loud 'plop' AJ sat down next to Howie.

"Now who's the one using full names here?" he asked, but the look on Howie's face obviously convinced him not to push his luck any further.

For a while they sat side by side in peace and Howie slowly started to feel like a human being again. Maybe he should have been nicer to AJ -- after all, he probably had a good reason for his presence here. AJ was not completely crazy.

Howie finally broke the silence and said charitably: "And now, Aje, tell me why you're here. Because for your own good I hope that it's not just an evil plan to ruin my Saturday morning!"

He smiled at his friend for the first time, and AJ visibly relaxed and smiled one of his rare smiles in return.

"That'd be a good idea, really -- need to remember to do that another time, just to see you show your claws again! Really sexy!" AJ laughed at Howie's face and continued quickly: "But seriously, I just had to tell you something and didn't want the other guys around."

"Why -- something happened that the big bad AJ McLean is embarrassed of?" Howie couldn't help the teasing, which earned him a good view of AJ's tongue.

AJ mock-scowled at him, but got to the point: "Well, you know, it's just kind of private... Someone's been sending me those slash stories -- you know, the kind where they write about two of us together..."

Howie had to hide a grin at AJ's floundering. "Yes, I know what 'slash' is, Aje -- but I still don't see why you've come to me. I mean, we see that kind of junk all the time -- like those terrible 'Mary-Sue' stories -- so what's gotten you all riled up?"

Howie had not thought it possible, but AJ actually blushed, a strangely endearing thing to see.

"Well, you know... Those stories. They were all about you and me -- and well..." He looked to the ground, then suddenly met Howie's eyes. "Shit, I'll just say it -- they got me thinking about how maybe you and me... Just a thought, nothing more. But I wanted to tell you, you should know because-"

AJ didn't get any further because Howie leaned forward and shut him up with a kiss.

At first AJ's lips were still beneath his, but then AJ started to respond, at first hesitating then more and more enthusiastically.

Howie let himself get lost in the kiss and decided that this was well worth the lost sleep.

Finally they broke apart and AJ stared at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Howie asked with a laugh.

"Why weren't you the least bit shocked?" AJ demanded to know almost accusingly.

This caused Howie to laugh even harder. In between fits of laughter he leaned forward and kissed AJ's poutingly pursed lips softly.